Okay so i started playing rift when the beta released but then stopped after 6-8month.
Im thinking of starting again but the whole game seems kinda dead. Big cities are empty and so on.

How many people are still playing Rift?

I'm presuming you haven't been to Tempest Bay?

The Population has gotten a lot higher since the release of Storm Legion, with pretty much all NA servers on constant Medium-High, the reason you may be finding it a tad more 'dead' is once your level 48 and also the leveling process is a lot faster, there is not much incentive to go back to the Old World apart from to Achievement hunt, Level crafting and a few others bits and bobs, the majority of the population now recides in Dusken and Brevane (Two new Continents introduced with Storm Legion) where you will find at least on our server Icewatch EU 200-300 in End zones like Ashora at any one time, 500+ when Volan pops =)

Okay so i started playing rift when the beta released but then stopped after 6-8month.
Im thinking of starting again but the whole game seems kinda dead. Big cities are empty and so on.

How many people are still playing Rift?

I guess WoW makes a good reference here. When they released WotLK everyone left the old content and went to the new stuff. Basically everyone in the game is doing Storm legion content. Deepwood there are still lowbie events going on so I know there have to be some people there.

Enough people that I still occasionally see people while out leveling in the low areas on my alt, which is crazy since most people are not leveling anymore and those that are are not always doing it by questing out in the open world. The fact that I see 1-2 people every time I am out on my lat says a lot.

Enough people that when I or a guildy needs to get a craft made we can find someone.

Enough people that when I que for a dungeon, I get people and can go.

Enough people that there are several raid guilds that raid at the times I prefer that I can choose from.

Im thinking of starting again but the whole game seems kinda dead. Big cities are empty and so on.

What "big city" are you in? Meridian/Sanctum haven't been populated since November 13th 2012, when Storm Legion came out. There's a new neutral city that everyone hangs out in (Tempest Bay). No need for Meridian/Sanctum anymore unless you're sub 50 and/or don't have the SL expansion.

OK I knew Rift player were a bit delusional about the state of their game but holy crap.

Zones more populated than WoW? even considering WoW zones are X-realm now? that's a flat out LIE.

there are more people dueling in Durotar atm than the entire EU-Rift playerbase.

Servers shut down.

Developers Laid off.

Lead Designers Bailing.

Employees getting Bullied by higher-ups.

Playerbase Dwindling .

Terrible animations.

Clunky combat.

Nothing I have Tried, Heard or Seen of Rift points to it being a decent game.
Just a niche little game with an EXTREMELY LOUD, Small playerbase .

wow, i feel much better now.

Hey bro, let my friend wocky tell you how it is.....

I actually see more players out an about in Rift then i do WoW, i play both games, im on Bloodhoof EU in WoW and Icewatch EU in RIFT, games far from dead, WoW feels dead. Got 3 level 90's now, like seriously there is hardly anyone in the open world, i log in to RIFT to interact with other players.

2) ever since CRZ i see more people in bloody SILITHUS than i've ever seen in my short lived Rift "experiance".

Most of these rift players on this subforum play both wow and rift. Hell, the guy you originally quoted PLAYS wow.
Given your limited experience, it might be best to differ to the people who are currently playing both.